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A blog about the good expat life
by Henriette Johnsen
Welcome to my blog! Here you’ll find everything from guides on various aspects of Danish culture to personal accounts from other expats - and most importantly, an in-depth look at some of the psychological challenges of expat life. I hope you will use these blog posts to enhance your expat experience.
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Healing After Infidelity: a Guide for Expats
Navigating the Difficult Terrain of Betrayal and Recovery Infidelity is a challenging topic, often evoking deep emotional responses and...
Henriette Johnsen
Feb 244 min read
The Power of Therapy in English: how language flows as the key to healing
As a bilingual therapist primarily working in my second language, English, to support expats in improving their mental health, emotional...
Henriette Johnsen
Feb 43 min read
Dealing with Loss of Identity as an Expat - featured on The Expat Woman Audio Summit, Oct 2024
Introduction Before moving abroad, did you ever think about the concept of identity? Did you ever consider what it may feel like to have...
Henriette Johnsen
Oct 10, 20248 min read
Expat Stories: the struggle is real – the neglected loneliness of an expat
Story Time: hearing personal stories from other expats is a window to new worlds. Worlds of new meaning, understanding, and depth about...
Henriette Johnsen
Sep 27, 20243 min read
Loneliness in expats
In recent years, much has been written about loneliness, in particular amongst the younger and the elder generations: loneliness is on...
Henriette Johnsen
Sep 26, 20243 min read
The nightmare of the "Stuck expat mums"
What is a stuck mum? It means that if you move abroad with your partner, have children and split, you are stuck because you are not...
Henriette Johnsen
Sep 17, 20242 min read
Manage expat stress: strategies and solutions
What is stress? For you to best manage expat stress and to apply relevant strategies to find solutions to move beyond, it's important to...
Henriette Johnsen
Sep 1, 20246 min read
A guide to Danish school life!
New to Danish school culture. Learn how to best support your child.
Henriette Johnsen
Jun 23, 20248 min read
Freedom alongside responsibility in Danish workplaces!
It is no secret that Danish society is heavily structured and institutionalised from the early stages of life until the later years....
Henriette Johnsen
Jun 22, 20246 min read
Understanding humour, irony, and sarcasm in Danish workplaces!
Oh, the number of times I have burnt my fingers and wished, I could have swallowed my tongue before I learnt to not be as candid in...
Henriette Johnsen
Jun 22, 20247 min read
Work-life balance for expatriates in Denmark!
Exploring the concept of work-life balance in Denmark and its implications for expatriates, this final blogpost in the series on Danish...
Henriette Johnsen
Jun 22, 20243 min read
Mastering flat company structures and implied hierarchies in Danish work culture!
While initially challenging to navigate, numerous expats affirm that the quality of Danish work culture significantly enhances their...
Henriette Johnsen
Jun 22, 20242 min read
The missing piece - struggles of trailing spouses
For lack of a better term and fully aware that many consider it derogatory and an indication of a life without responsibility, direction...
Henriette Johnsen
Apr 21, 20246 min read
Has expat life thrown you into identity crisis?
Essentially, identity is a question of who you are. Identity reflects your values that guide your choices in life. When you make choices...
Henriette Johnsen
Mar 14, 20244 min read
How to effectively navigate disagreements, conflicts, and crises in your romantic relationship?
Many, if not most, couples experience disagreements, conflicts, and crises at some stage of their relationship. These can break trust,...
Henriette Johnsen
Feb 5, 20245 min read
Shame … on language
When living in London, I studied and trained to become a psychotherapist. Doing so in my second language, I experienced frustration,...
Henriette Johnsen
Jan 25, 20244 min read
Tips on befriending Danes!
It’s no secret, that Denmark has a lot to offer, but being an expat in one of the seemingly happiest countries in the world is no walk in...
Henriette Johnsen
Jan 16, 20244 min read
Self-compassion as part of mental health and emotional self-care
Compassion means to suffer with; and as such, self-compassion means to suffer with yourself! To feel compassionate with yourself, you...
Henriette Johnsen
Dec 20, 20233 min read
Tips for having guests visiting from home whilst living abroad
In my expats days, we were often blessed with family and friends coming over for visits. Blessed in the sense that not only did they come...
Henriette Johnsen
Nov 21, 20234 min read
Christmas on your own?
As humans we are programmed to evolve and seek new experiences, but when it comes to Christmas, our mindset prefers for it to be same...
Henriette Johnsen
Nov 21, 20235 min read
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